Wall Mounted Deployable Furniture Piece

ABSTRACT

A table provides a surface that stores flat on a wall when not in use and can be manually deployed at variable lengths, with any the remainder remaining stored on the wall. The surface easily slides down and out from its low profile retracted (vertically stored) position into a deployed (horizontal) configuration to serve as a shelf, a desk, dining/conference/work table, and the like.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application relates and claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 62/162,730, filed May 16, 2015, the entirety ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to furniture, and more specifically totables or other furniture pieces useful in areas with limited space

2. Background of Art

Furniture that is both aesthetically pleasing while appropriatelyfunctional for a given use is desirable. A particular need exists forfurniture that provides adequate functionality and aesthetics in spacesof small or limited size. For example, a studio apartment typicallyprovides very limited living space, but the occupant may like to haveadequate furniture to live not just comfortably, such as a bed, a diningtable, chairs, and the like but also optimize for experience and utilityof that space, such as dinner parties, office, work, etc.

One rather old but functionally useful furniture design that hasaddressed the need of furnishing small spaces is the Murphy bed. TheMurphy bed is a sleeping bed that simply moves between a stowed positionwherein it extends in a vertical plane typically against a wall andperhaps hidden behind doors that make it appear as a closet, and adeployed positioned where it simply pivots at its base to extend in thenormal horizontal plane as with “fixed” beds.

Other furnishings that have been designed for smaller spaces include,for example, what are known as TV trays; small trays that are foldablebetween a stowed and collapsed position and a deployed, usable position.The TV trays simply include a pair of legs on each side of the tray thatare pivotally movable relative to one another about their midpoints. Thetray surface is also pivotally mounted to one of the legs on each sideand can be releasingly and securely clipped to the other legs on eachside when deployed for use.

Traditional folding tables and chairs are also functionally useful forsmall spaces. These tables include the table base and support legspivotally extendible between collapsed positions and extended positions.When the table is not in use the legs are folded up against thedownwardly facing surface of the table and the table stowed for lateruse. Similarly with the traditional folding chairs, the legs and seatportion simply pivot to permit folding of the chair's components into asingle plane for storage. When use of the chair is desired, one simplyunfolds the legs and seat to convert the chair into a functional pieceof furniture.

Couches commonly known as futons are useful at providing a couch thatcan be converted into a bed by unfolding its various sections andextending the couch cushion into a mattress. Similar to couches withfold away mattresses, this type of furniture is useful for providingextra an sleeping piece in an area otherwise occupied with living roomtype furnishing.

While each of the examples provided above of traditional furniture usedin spaces of limited size, there are drawbacks associated with each ofthem that make them less attractive for use by certain individuals whomay otherwise have a need for such functionality. For instance, even theTV trays and folding tables and chairs require space to store them,which certain apartments or other small quarters may not provide. Andwhile a Murphy bed is useful in saving space it is a rather heavy pieceof furniture that is difficult for some individuals to manipulate. Inaddition, it is merely movable between a fully stowed or a fullyopen/deployed position; it does not have the ability to convert betweensay a king size bed and a twin bed, or a long bed and a short/toddlerbed. Thus, it will always take up the maximum amount of space whendeployed, which may not always be necessary or desired.

3. Objects and Advantages

It is therefore an object and advantage of the present invention toprovide a table that may be moved between a stowed position and adeployed position.

It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide atable that can be deployed to various lengths to accommodate varioussize needs.

It is a further object and advantage of the present invention to providea table that may be easily moved between its deployed and stowedpositions with minimal strength or effort.

It is an additional object and advantage of the present invention toprovide a table that can be customized in appearance

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will in part beobvious, and in part appear hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the foregoing objects and advantages, the presentinvention provides a table that is movable between stowed and deployedpositions. The table essentially comprises a plurality of slatspivotally interconnected to one another and each of which extends inparallel relation to the rest. Each slat is interconnected to theadjacent slat(s) by hinge plates that are positioned along the sideedges of each slat. A rail system is mounted to a wall and provides thesliding passageway for the slatted table top to move between its stowed(vertical) position and its deployed (horizontal) position. When in thevertical (retracted) orientation, the table is suspended by a gas springloaded scissors lift (referred to herein as a “vertical assistmechanism” or “VAM”) such that the weight of the table is balanced. Asthe table deploys into a horizontal position, the force needed tocounter balance the table mass decreases because part of it is nowsupported by legs that pivot outwardly from the bottom of the table ontothe floor. The VAM is designed so that the user experiences a constantforce when retracting or deploying the table even though the mass thatis being translated is increasing or decreasing respectively. The gasspring is mostly responsible for this and the system is designed to evenout any variation of the force output by the spring over its stroke.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated byreading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a table in its deployed position inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a second perspective view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view thereof with the wall section partiallycut away for purposes of viewing the rear of the table assembly.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the table of FIG. 1 in its stowedposition.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view thereof.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the table of FIG. 1 in apartially/initially deployed position.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view thereof.

FIG. 9 is a front elevation view thereof.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of a slat assembly inaccordance with an aspect of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view thereof.

FIGS. 12a-12c are side elevation views of a slate, slip surface, andslat hinge plate, respectively.

FIG. 13 is an illustrative view of the horizontal brake mechanism inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of the horizontal brake mechanism inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIGS. 15a-15j are sequential illustrative views illustrating the processassociated with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is an elevation view of the vertical assist mechanism associatedwith an aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer tolike parts throughout, there is seen in FIG. 1 a table designatedgenerally by reference numeral 10. Table 10 is manually movable betweena stowed (vertically oriented position (see FIGS. 5 and 6) to a fullydeployed (horizontally oriented) position (see FIGS. 1-4). If a shorterlength of table is desired than is provided when fully deployed,deployment of table 10 can cease at any desired length, leaving aportion thereof in its vertically oriented position while the desiredlength of horizontally oriented table may be deployed and used.

Table 10 generally comprises a plurality of slats 12 that form the tabletop. Each slat 12 is interconnected to adjacent slat(s) 12 by hingeplates 14 that extend along the side edges of each slat 12. A slipsurface 16 is positioned between each hinge plate 14 and slat 12 toreduce friction during movement of the slats. A pin 18 passes throughand interconnects two slats 12 together and the length of the pin servesas the pivot axis between the two adjacent slats 12. As most clearlyseen in FIGS. 11 and 12 c, each hinge plate 14 includes a leading edge20 that is concave, while its trailing edge 22 is correspondingly convexin shape. This convex/concave relationship provides a smooth transitionas one slat moves from its vertical to its horizontal position while theadjacent one remains in it vertical orientation.

With reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, when a user is moving the table, abrake mechanism, designated generally by reference numeral 100, must bedisengaged. Brake mechanism 100 comprises a brake 102 attached to theunderside of the leading slat, and a series of pulleys 104 around whicha cable 106 travels (and cable 106 also passes through brake 102) andwith the ends of the cable tied off to tensioning springs. Brake 102pinches cable 106 by magnetic (or spring) biased force when in itsneutral state, thereby preventing movement of cable 106 and movement ofthe table. To disengage brake 102, a user would pull on the handle 108of brake 102, thereby freeing cable 106 from its clutch. The user'sminimum push or pull force exerted on the leading slat 12 then moves thetable with the assistance of the VAM to either its stowed or deployedposition, respectively. Upon release of handle 108, cable 106 once againis engaged and movement of the table is prohibited. Thus, releasinghandle 108 when any desired length of table is deployed permits a tableof desired size to be deployed (e.g., only one or two slats might bedeployed to provide a shelf).

With reference to FIG. 16, VAM 200 is illustrated. VAM comprises aplurality of pivotally linked legs 202 to form a scissor lift. The upperand lower extremities of legs 202 are bridged by connecting arms 204 and206, respectively. A gas piston 208 has its cylinder attached at one endof connecting arm 206 and its piston is carried in an arcuate slot 210formed through a guide 212 that is attached to a leg 202. As a userbegins to move the table either towards a deployed position or towardsits stowed position, gas piston 206 will provide the majority of theforce and support needed to carry the weight of the table, thusminimizing the effort required of the user. The arcuate slot 210 isdesigned to vary the amount of force contributed by the gas piston tothe movement of the table; as more of the table becomes verticallyoriented towards its stowed position, the greater the amount of forcecontributed by the gas piston and conversely when the table nears itsfully deployed position, the arcuate slot is oriented such that the gaspiston again contributes a significant amount of force to hold theweight of the table as it is moved. Likewise, less force is needed whena portion of the table is deployed and a portion in the vertical plane.When the table is in its fully stowed position, gas spring 206 providesthe force to prevent the table from sliding down and away from the wall.

With respect to FIGS. 15a -15 j, the table 10 is shown in its sequentialmodes of operation from shipping (15 a), to installation on a wall (15b), initial deployment of a shelf (15 c), with the legs lockingoutwardly to support the shelf/table (15 d), to deployment (15 e). FIG.15f begins the process of deployment of table 10 for table use.Retraction is started as shown in FIG. 15g , wherein the legs willretract upwardly into their stored position on the underside of thetable (15 h), and finally the shelf (slat 12) can be pushed into thevertical plane (15 i). As shown in FIG. 15j , the table's surface can bedecorated with artwork which can be interchangeable via veneers or othersuitable coverings.

Also the legs will work by automatically falling down to parallel to thewall when the leading slat is lifted from the wall. These will lock inplace automatically. When the table is pulled out from the wall, thesewill stay down and stay locked in place.

As the table is returned to retracted state, the legs can then be freeto retract and will do so when the user manually pushes on them so as tofold down the leading slat to its retracted state on the wall.

What is claimed is:
 1. A deployable furniture piece that is moveablebetween a fully stowed position and a fully deployed position,comprising: a. a plurality of slats, including a leading slat and atrailing slat, interconnected to one another with each extending along arespective axis all of which are parallel to one another; b. a verticalassistance mechanism that provides an automated force to assist intransitional movement of the table between its fully stowed positionwherein said plurality of slats extend in an essentially vertical planeand a fully deployed position wherein a majority of said plurality ofslats extend in a essentially horizontal plane; and c. a brake that isselectively, manually actuable between locked and unlocked positions,wherein the table is locked from movement without manual actuation ofsaid brake.
 2. The deployable furniture piece according to claim 1,further comprising first and second legs connected to said leading slatand movable between a fully stowed, wherein said first and second legsextend in parallel relation to the plane in which said leading slatextends, and a fully deployed position, wherein said first and secondlegs extend perpendicularly to the plane in which leading slat extends.3. The deployable furniture piece according to claim 1, wherein saidvertical assistance mechanism comprises: a. a plurality of linked legs,including an upper set of linked legs and a lower set of linked legs,that collectively form a scissor lift; b. first and second connectingarms extending between said upper set of linked legs and said lower setof linked legs, respectively; c. a guide attached to one of saidplurality of linked legs and having an arcuate slot formed therethrough;and d. a piston and cylinder arrangement wherein said cylinder isattached at one end to one of said first and second connecting arms andsaid piston passes through said arcuate slot.
 4. The deployablefurniture piece according to claim 1, further comprising a brakeassembly.
 5. The deployable furniture piece according to claim 4,wherein said brake assembly comprises a brake attached to said leadingslat, said brake being manually movable from a locked position to anunlocked position and upon manual release automatically movable fromsaid unlocked position back to said locked position.
 6. The deployablefurniture piece according to claim 5, wherein said brake assemblyfurther comprises: a. a cable that passes through said brake; b. aplurality of pulleys attached to said plurality of slats and aroundwhich said cable passes; and c. first and second tensioning springs towhich the ends of said cable attach.
 7. The deployable furniture pieceaccording to claim 1, further comprising a connection assemblyinterconnecting adjacent ones of said plurality of slats.
 8. Thedeployable furniture piece according to claim 7, wherein said connectionassembly comprises a slat hinge plate and a slip surface, wherein saidslip surface is positioned between said adjacent slats and said slathinge plate.
 9. The deployable furniture piece according to claim 8,wherein said slat hinge plate comprises a convex trailing edge and aconcave leading edge.
 10. A method for deploying a furniture piece froma stowed position to a deployed position, wherein the furniture piececomprises a plurality of slats, including a leading slat and a trailingslat, interconnected to one another with each extending along arespective axis all of which are parallel to one another, and a brakeattached to the leading slat, wherein the stowed position comprises theplurality of slats being positioned in a vertical plane in supportedrelation against a wall and the deployed position comprises at least amajority of the plurality of slats being positioned in a horizontalplane, wherein the method comprises the steps of: a. applying force tothe brake to release the plurality of slats from their stowed position;b. pulling outwardly on the leading slat to cause at least a majority ofthe plurality of slats to each transition from a vertical plane to ahorizontal plane; and c. releasing the brake to lock the plurality ofslats in position.
 11. A method for deploying a furniture piece from adeployed position to a stowed position, wherein the furniture piececomprises a plurality of slats, including a leading slat and a trailingslat, interconnected to one another with each extending along arespective axis all of which are parallel to one another, a brakeattached to the leading slat, and a vertical assistance mechanism thatprovides an automated force to assist in transitional movement of thetable between its fully stowed position and its fully deployed position,wherein the stowed position comprises the plurality of slats beingpositioned in a vertical plane in supported relation against a wall andthe deployed position comprises at least a majority of the plurality ofslats being positioned in a horizontal plane, wherein the methodcomprises the steps of: a. applying force to the brake to release itfrom the plurality of slats and permit movement thereof; b. pushinginwardly on the leading slat to actuate the vertical assistancemechanism and cause the plurality of slats to each transition from ahorizontal plane to a vertical plane; and c. releasing the brake to lockthe plurality of slats in position.